Saint Nicholas Parish: Mental Health Education

Approximately twenty parents of school aged children and adolescents gathered at Pope John XXIII School at Saint Nicholas Parish in Evanston, IL for a presentation in Spanish titled “Prevention of Abuse and Intimidation From Bullies in Our Schools”. The presenters were Dr. Gregory Benson-Flórez, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and Concepción Marin, Masters student of Counseling, also at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. The presentation focused on various aspects of school bullying including the types, characteristics, and the social context in which bullying typically occurs. Other topics included the psychological impact and long term problems associated with bullying such as academic, social, and emotional issues. Perhaps the most interesting and useful topic for the parents was how to prevent bullying using various interventions and treatment plans, such as learning strategies to improve their children’s self-esteem and accessing counseling services as well as school and community resources. The presentation concluded with a lively question and answer session.

The degree of participation and enthusiasm demonstrated by the parents revealed a high level of interest in mental health issues impacting their Latino community. One of the mothers mentioned the importance of positive communication with her children and the rejection at home of any form of discrimination that can be an aspect of bullying. A father stated the importance of being a good role model for his children and not allowing bullying to take place in the home. Other parents talked about how to acknowledge their children’s positive characteristics and behavior and to become more involved in their schools. In general, it appeared that the parents left the presentation with an elevated sense of optimism and increased information to help prevent school bullying.